Through skill, stamina, courage, and luck, a few gladiators managed to earn fame, fortune, and freedom. However, life for the vast majority of gladiators was anything but glamorous or rewarding. Most of those in the profession were seen by society as lowly, disreputable characters; only a few entered the gladiatorial ranks by choice; they had to surrender themselves and their destinies completely to people widely considered their "betters"; their training was physically hard and relentless; their quarters in the barracks of gladiator schools were spare and devoid of luxury; and they faced the very real prospect of permanent injury or death at an early age. Moreover, though many dreamed of rebelling against and escaping from this unpleasant life, few actually tried, and even fewer succeeded. The true essence of an ordinary gladiator's life did not consist of the relatively few moments he...